During a typical PV cell encapsulation process, air bubbles are formed in gaps between the glass, liquid, and cells. These bubbles result in voids in the finished PV cells, which, among other things, increase the probability of delamination in the PV cells, decrease the structural strength of the cells, and reduce the energy conversion capabilities of the cells. Prior art systems use vacuum devices to remove entrapped air bubbles between the encapsulating liquid film and the substrate. This requires high capital investments in vacuum chambers and other equipment, while also increasing the manufacturing time.